The Kennel Murder Case

"William Powell returns as Philo Vance"

1933 1h 13m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🔥

100%

CERTIFIED FRESH

⭐

6.8

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 60🍅100%Rotten Tomatoes★6.8IMDB · 4,736

CrimeMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Philo Vance, accompanied by his prize-losing Scottish terrier, investigates the locked-room murder of a prominent and much-hated collector whose broken Chinese vase provides an important clue.

“William Powell returns as Philo Vance”

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Cast

William Powell
Philo Vance
Mary Astor
Hilda Lake
Eugene Pallette
Detective Heath
Ralph Morgan
Raymond Wrede
Robert McWade
District Attorney Markham
Robert Barrat
Archer Coe
Frank Conroy
Brisbane Coe
Etienne Girardot
Dr. Doremus

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Curtiz
Writers: Robert N. Lee, S.S. Van Dine, Peter Milne
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 73-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

93 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Philo Vance Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Curtiz, shot by William Rees. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bernhard Kaun. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Editor Harold McLernon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

William Powell and Mary Astor and Eugene Pallette carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "William Powell returns as Philo Vance".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Curtiz directs. William Rees behind the camera. Bernhard Kaun scores. Harold McLernon cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 73-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
293 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Philo Vance Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Michael Curtiz, shot by William Rees. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Bernhard Kaun. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Harold McLernon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7William Powell and Mary Astor and Eugene Pallette carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "William Powell returns as Philo Vance".
9IMDB entry: tt0024210 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 60 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: William Rees
Original score: Bernhard Kaun
Editing: Harold McLernon
Costume design: Orry-Kelly
Runtime: 73 min · 1h 13m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Kennel Murder Case (1933)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 6.8/10 · 4,736 votes
MPAA: Approved
US box office: $961,380

Part of

Philo Vance Collection

The movie adaptions of the S. S. Van Dine novels featuring the detective Philo Vance, starring various actors in the lead role.

Also by

Michael Curtiz

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-13
★ 6/10
This is a well above average murder mystery that finds amateur detective "Philo Vance" (William Powell), and his Scots terrier, called in to investigate the curious case of a wealthy man who has apparently shot himself whilst locked in his study. The coroner, however, casts doubt on the simplicity of the suicide theory, and when the man's brother is found dead too - we have a cracking little enigma to solve. There are a few twists and turns as many of the characters seem quite likely suspects and Eugene Pallette ("Detective Heath") adds well to the pace of this quite quirky whodunit as a policeman in the ("Lestrade") vein. The ending is a bit contrived, but it's still a good watch.

Production companies